City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 5.4% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $105,400 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.9% moving from Anchorage, AK to Palm Bay, FL ($120,348 → $107,228), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,863 in Palm Bay | $105,415 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Anchorage → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $62,181 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $75,233 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $90,173 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $107,228 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $126,711 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $62,510 | $65,895 (−16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $131,760 | $138,894 (+33.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $75,860 | $79,968 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $80,900 | $85,281 (−26.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.